Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to railroad data determination and control systems, e.g., Positive Train Control (PTC) systems, for use in connection with trains that traverse a complex track network, and in particular to a track data determination system and method for generating improved and accurate track and track feature location data for use in ongoing railway operations.
Description of the Related Art
As is known, railway systems and networks are in use in all areas of the world for use in both transporting people and goods to various locations and destinations. While the layout of the existing track network (and features associated therewith) in any particular area is generally known, new track installations, extensions of existing track, and modifications to the existing track network must be mapped and/or modeled. Such mapping and modeling is required in order to accurately determine the geographic position of the track and the features (e.g., a crossing, a wayside device, a signal, etc.) associated with any particular length of track. As expected, this accurate determination of the track position and associated features is an initial step for, in turn, accurately determining the position of any specified train or railway vehicle that is traversing this track.
Train control, e.g., Positive Train Control (PTC), comprises a system where certain trains include an on-board system (i.e., an on-board controller (OBC)) and operate in communication within a track communication network, normally controlled by a computer system located remotely at a central dispatch location. In the United States, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has mandated that certain trains and/or railroad implement PTC by 2015, such that there exists over 100,000 miles of railroad track that will need to be surveyed and validated according to the FRA procedures. This amount of survey data will also need to be maintained and updated as new track is installed, or existing track (or associated features) is modified. Accordingly, the transition to PTC for Class 1 freight railroads includes the detailed mapping and/or modeling of track lines and track features.
This track data determination effort is a complex and costly technical and business undertaking. Existing systems for surveying and mapping track lines and track features are slow and expensive, which represent a hurdle to collecting Federally-mandated PTC track data. One known track data determination process includes moving a specially-equipped vehicle on a length of track that requires location and/or verification. This process requires coordination of track time with production operations, as well as knowledgeable personnel to operate the vehicle during this procedure. For example, this project may require 2 individuals to operate the vehicle and implement the process, with the result of 20 miles of track (and features) being mapped in an 8-hour day. Further, every time a change occurs on or near the track, this process must be repeated, as this procedure is not scalable.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an effective track data determination system and method that generates accurate and reliable data for mapping and/or modeling existing, new, and/or modified track (and associated features) in a complex track network.